I tell stories because life is hard. A good story can offer escape—a chance to step outside the weight of the everyday and breathe in another world. Stories give us perspective, invite us to reflect, and sometimes simply let us laugh, cry, or jump out of our seats.

When you return from that journey, you’re not quite the same. You carry something back with you: a lesson, an emotion, a spark of courage, or even just a moment of joy. In this way, a story lingers. It makes you stronger, softer, wiser—or simply more yourself.

That’s why I write. To remind us that we’re not alone. To show that even in the darkest places, there’s light. And to prove that the right story, told at the right time, can change the way we see the world—and the way we see ourselves.